Long: When Days Are Long

By +Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

My Five Minute Friday prompt this week is—Long. This largely unedited “rough draft” form of writing stretches this perfectionist, in the best of ways. I write for five minutes on a given topic. If you’re interested in learning more about 5-Minute Fridays, check out our hostess, Kate Motaung’s site. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this post. As you read my simpler Friday posts, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!

LONG

When the boys were little—scrapping with each other, daring me to defy their strong wills—an older and wiser friend shared this quote with me:

“The days are long, but the years are short.”

And how true I’m finding this statement to be. The boys are now 11 1/2 and 10 years old. Bigger, stronger, more able to reason . . . and some days just as able to drive me to my knees in discouragement and prayer.

But now, I see the quickness of the years. One is almost a teenager. We have maybe seven more years to be his mama and dad while he’s under our care.

After that, our boys will spread their own wings into their beautiful lives. Independent, hopefully living for Jesus.

I see how much we still need to teach them.

Where have the days gone?

They’ve been filled with training, laughter, cuddles, battles, playing, watching movies, hopefully making fun memories they will take with them when they leave our nest.

I’m not in a hurry for our boys to grow up. I want to cherish each day they live under our roof. Some days truly are long, but the years are picking up speed with each birthday.

And it scares me a little.

The struggles in the long days pale when I hold them up to the years our boys have already lived. It makes me a wee bit sad to see them grow. I tell them to stay small. And one of them says he will.

The other . . . he’s ready to make his days fly by and live with freedom and independence he still needs to learn to manage well. But in his mind, he is ready.

I am not.

I want more long days (but not the ones where we’re battling!). Days where we hike, laugh, enjoy being together. Shared memories. Shared love.

The days may be long, but the years truly are short.

What about you? When have you wanted to slow down time, just a little? What one piece of advice would you share with those walking behind you in life?

Kate Motaung—FMF Long